Port guide for crew

Dear Reader,

One of the many perks of working on a cruise ship is exploring the ports you stop at. Since the ships tend to the same route for a season, you will have a few months to see each place. I suggest at least once in your contract you take the time to go out in each port and see some of it.

Here are some of the ports that were on our itinerary and what the crew chose to do. It also includes the best places to get shopping done or buy cheap food or drinks.

For us this was homeport, and it probably will be for many of you as well, that have an itinerary in the Mediterranean. It is a great place to do some cheap shopping for things like cup noodles or eat some local food. It will take you 20 minutes to walk to the center (less if you hurry a little), so you can explore that. Also if you are purchasing a local number, this is a good port to do it in. They have many different stores and Italy has great offers on prepaid plans, which will work all over Europe. I paid 10 Euros for 10GB of internet and I believe 1000 minutes.

This port is just the gateway to Rome. Depends on the day you stop here it will have some cute restaurants and shops. However, we were here on a Sunday, therefore everything was closed. This is a good day to do laundry or go to the gym since the city is not worth it. If you have more than 5 hours off, you can try going to Rome (which is about 1.5 hours away) either with an excursion from your ship or with the train. Be careful though not to miss your ship or be late for your shift. The trains run about every 45 minutes, but make sure to check the schedule before going on this adventure. They do not run very regularly and can be late, as many things in Italy.

Palatine Chapel in Palermo

This is one of the few ports, where you dock almost in the center of the city. It will take you 20 minutes to walk to the center. This city in Sicily is known for its many churches. If you have time, it is worth checking out a few of them. One of my favorites is Casa Professa, a very exaggerated baroque church. There is also the main cathedral and many other small ones. You can also do some shopping here mostly for clothes and shoes. We spent dry dock here and got to experience the nightlife, which can be nice. Not too loud, but also not quiet. The only thing that bothered me was the dirtiness of the city, but it is not very surprising in Italy.

I have a whole blog post about what to do in Cagliari in one day which you can read here. Since again the ship docks right in the center, you can walk and explore. It is a great place to go out and just walk, enjoy the beach (which is about 20 minutes away), or eat some amazing Italian food. I will link my previous post here if you want to know more.

Now this the most loved port among the crew. We docked here from noon to midnight, but some companies do overnight. It allowed almost all crew members a chance to go out. The main place to go was a shopping center close by (about 10 minutes walk) called Porto Pi. When you first embark someone will show you how to go there for sure because everybody is headed there. It is a massive shopping center that has all the commercial shops you would want for fashion, home, and anything else. It also has a large Carrefour in the basement, which tends to be where the crew gets anything they need from chips to cleaning products. Besides that, there is also a few kebab shops which offer kebabs for around 5 Euros and they have the fastest internet on the whole itinerary. Everybody flocks there to eat and call home or just check Facebook without waiting 4 hours.

I suggest at least once you take the time to explore the city itself. Your ship probably offers a shuttle for passengers, which tend to be free for the crew (at least they were with my company). Walk around the narrow streets, sit in a cafe and enjoy the tourists walking by. Eat some amazing tapas and drink some sangria. It will be a great change from your everyday life.

Museum of Arts and Science

Marseille

Now this one is a hard one. The terminal doesn’t offer much. There is one small cafe upstairs that offers wifi if you make a purchase. It is decent, but not a place you would want to spend hours. The city, on the other hand, is at least 30 minutes away by bus. This can become up to 40-50 minutes if it is rush hour. We always docked here on a Friday (I believe haha) so the evening rush hour traffic as even worse than any other day. If you have any time, it worth one trip. It is not the most beautiful city on the itinerary, but it can be quite nice for a walk around the marina or eat some delicious food.

Heraklion

I only had the chance to visit this city once and let me tell you it can be confusing at the beginning. There is a free shuttle to the exit of the port and from there you can walk. It will take you about 20 minutes to get to the center. Just walk along the seaside. This smaller city is amazing for some food outside. Since the crisis, the prices have dropped so it is very affordable and delicious. There is also many small streets to wonder and exlore. They may also have a street market going on (they did while I was there).

Muscat

Grand Mosque

Muscat turned into one of our favorite ports during Dubai season. It is such relaxing place and offers so much at a very close distance to the port. It is a little bit of a hustle to get one bus then another, but once you’re outside the port it will take you only 10 minutes along the promenade to get to the old souq. This area is filled with small coffee shops and restaurants, which offer a good price for money. Also, we have discovered this port to be the best to buy souvenirs. The handlers are fair and you can generally pay in either euros, dollar, or dhirram if you do not have local currency.

Doha

This city will be for you if you like souqs and art. The port has nothing much to offer and the city center is about a 20 minute ride by the shuttle bus offered by the ship. It may be worth to check it out once but it is mostly shopping malls and skyscrapers so not much to do except shopping. Close to the port, however, there are two amazing attractions. One of them is a restored souq made to resemble the past. It has many stalls and vendors with all kinds of products. Be careful when buying spices, since they can be fake, but other than that you should be fine. The famous falcon hospital is also located in this souq. You cannot visit it from the inside, but there is a falcon store next to it, where you can see how they are being sold.

On the opposite side of the souq, you can find the Museum of Islamic Art. It is one of the most interesting buildings in terms of architecture around while hosting one of the biggest collections of Islamic art in the region. If you visit, make sure to go to the terrace to admire the beautiful Doha skyline. Also good to know that the entrance is free and they have free wifi, so go check it out for sure. The port will provide a shuttle to the exit and from there you can walk to both of these locations.

Museum of Islamic Art in Doha

 

Dubai

Oh Dubai. If you are doing Dubai season, this will most likely be your homeport. There is so much to explore in this city, that you won’t be able to do it all even if you go out each time you’re in port. You can visit the creek, the Dubai Mall, venture over to Dubai Marina or Deira, go to the Global Village or the Miracle Garden. There is just so much to do I couldn’t even tell you about it all. This is also the perfect port to ask for excursions to the desert or the Burj Khalifa. If you are lucky and stay here overnight, you can also go out in the evening for dinner, a bar, or a club. The attractions are constantly changing and there are always new things to do. Check out my other blog post here about Dubai to see what cheap things you can do close to the port.

So there you have it. A complete port guide directed towards the crew. What ports did you visit on your itinerary? Which one was your favorite? Share your tips and favorite spots in port with me in the comments below or on Instagram @lettersfromatravelinggirl

Enjoy your cruise adventure.

Kisses,

Juli